With spring and summer just around the corner, the Stark County Park District has scheduled a series of programs and children's fishing derbies.
The series starts Tuesday, March 30, with Passport to Fishing--a two-hour program for 4-17 year olds, which will cover the basics: how to tie a knot, fish identification, casting, and choosing the right bait. The program will begin at 6 p.m. at the Exploration Gateway, 5712 12th St. N.W., at the north end of Sippo Lake. Reservations, which are required, can be made by calling 330-409-8096 or by signing up online at www.StarkParks.com.
Similar programs are also scheduled in April, May and June, with support from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Registration is also under way for other Passport to Fishing programs scheduled for Monday, April 29, at the David Fichtner Outdoor Education Center in Hartville; Friday, May 28, at the Exploration Gateway at Sippo Lake Park and Friday, June 25, at the Walborn Reservoir picnic pavilion, 11324 Price St. N.E., near Alliance.
On Saturday, April 24, children can test their skills at the annual Jack Cullen Memorial Towpath Trail Trout Derby at Lock 4 Park along the Ohio & Erie Canalway Towpath Trail south of Canal Fulton. The derby is from 8-11 a.m. and is open to boys and girls ages 4-15. Rainbow trout are stocked into the historic canal for the event. Adults may fish beginning at 11 a.m., after the derby ends. No reservations are required for the derby.
Other children's fishing derbies sponsored by Stark Parks and supported by the Stark County Federation of Conservation Clubs and the Berkley Fishing Team are as follows:
* Saturday, May 8--Richard Fry Memorial Catfish Derby--8-11 a.m., at Petros Lake Park;
* Saturday, June 5--Berkley Fishing Derby--for children 4-12 years old, 8-11 a.m., at Sippo Lake Park, and pre-registration required at Sippo Lake Marina, beginning May 17;
* Saturday, June 12--Cook's Lagoon Derby in Canton--8-11 a.m., includes prizes for seniors older than 65 too;
* Fridays, July 9 and Aug. 13--Night Fishing Derbies--for all ages, 6 p.m.-midnight, $5 each, with five cash prizes offered;
* Saturday, Aug. 14--Sandy & Beaver Canal Days Children's Fishing Derby-- 9-11 a.m. at Whitacre Greer Park outside Magnolia;
* Saturday, Sept. 11--Bob Meister Memorial Fishing Derby for special-needs children, 10-11:30 a.m., at Sippo Lake Park, and pre-registration is required.
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